Electrically-controlled switch mechanism



W. G. HARTWIG.

ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED SWITCH MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JULY 9,1917. RENEWED OCT. 10, 1921.

1,399, 1 1 6. Patented Dec; 6, 1921.

and is in the WILLIAM GEORGE HARTWIG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNOR T0 ARTHUR FRANTZEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELEGTRICALLY-CONTROLLED SWITCH MECHANISM.

Application filed July 9, 1917, Serial No. 179,357. Renewed October 10, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GQHARTWIG, a citizen of the United States of America,

and resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illi-' nois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electrically- Controlled Switch Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrically-controlled switch mechanism of the kind shown and described in my co pending application, Serial No. 178,236, filed July 2, 1917, inwhich I have claimed my invention broadly, nature of an improvement thereon.

The object of my present invention is to provide an improved and novel construction and arrangement whereby a two-point thermostat, such as an ordinary thermometer-thermostat, may be used in place of the three-point thermostat shown and described in said other application, and whereby two conductors leading to the thermostatwill be suflicient.

- To these and other useful ends, my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed. 7

In the accompanying drawings The single figure is a diagram illustrating an automatic regulating system provided with an electro-magnetically-operated switch-mechanism which is controlled by a thermometer-thermostat, thereby to control the operation of the electric motor by which a steam-pipe valve, or any other device, is automatically operated under thermostatic control, embodying the principles of my invention.

As thus illustrated, my invention comprises the current-mains 1 and 2 for supplying an alternating current of, for exam.- ple, 110 Volts, and which are connected to a transformer 3 for stepping the current down to 15 volts, or to any other required voltage. One terminal of the secondary of said transformer is connected by a conductor 4 with the upper stationary contact-point 5 of the thermometer-thermostat A, while the other terminal of said secondary is connected by a conductor 6 with one terminal of the middle coil 7 of the switch-mechanism B, which latter is of the general character shown and described in said other application. The current-main l is connected by a conductor 8 with one brush of the rotary alternating cur- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

Serial No. 506,917.

rent-motor C, which latter may be of any suitable or desired character. The other current-main 2 is connected by a 9 with the swinging contact 10 of said mechanism. The lower stationary contact-point 11 of the thermometer-thermostat A is, connected by a conductor 12 with the lower terminal of the coil 13 of said mechanism. Said motor has the other brush thereof connected by the damper 14 with the two contact-points 15 and 16 of an ordinary rotary snap-switch D, which latter may be of any suitable, known or approved character. This snap switch is connected or geared to the motor C, so that after a predetermined amount .of rotation on the part of the motor said switch will then be operated. The other two contacts 17 and 18 of this snapswitch are connected, respectively, by conductors 19 and 20, with the stationary contacts 21 and 22 of said switch-mechanism.

W ith the foregoing construction, the operation is as follows: As shown in the drawing, the mercury a of the thermostat A has expanded, under the influence of a rising temperature, until it has made contact with the contact-point 5, thus electrically connecting this contact with the contact-point 1] below. Under such conditions, a circuit is formed from the secondary of the transformer over the conductor 4, through the thermostat to the conductor 12, through the coil 13 to thestationary contact 23, then through the middle coil or winding 7 and over the conductor 6 of the other terminal of the secondary of the transformer, whereby an alternating current traverses this circuit. The coil 13 has a core which attracts the armature E, so that the latter is maintained in the position into which it was tilted about its axis e, and the coil 13 also attracts the armature F which is mounted on a spring f. whereby the contact 24 of this spring is retained out of engagement with the stationary contact 25, which latter is of any suitable character and connected by a conductor 26 with the lower terminal of the coil 27 disposed at the other side of the center coil. In this way, while the mercury is in engagement with the contact-point 5, the circuit'through the coil 27 is maintained open between the contacts 24 and 25, and the circuit through the coils 7 and 13 in series is maintained closed. The coil 7 may have a core, and in such case it will be non-inducconductor circuit, in response to a falling temperature,

the break or separation between the mercury and the contact will not be ac'com anied'by an undesirable sparking action.

t will be observed that after the armatures E and F are attracted, as shown in the drawing, less current is required to maintain them in thls 1 condition, and consequently the resistance 7 prevents sparking, as stated, and at the same time does not interfere with the maintaining of the armature F in position to keep the contacts 24 and 25 separated. Previously, upon the initial engagement of the mercury a with the contact 5, the armature E was in its reversely tilted position, so that the con- 'ture tact 28 carried by the armature was in engagement with the stationary contact 23,

whereby the initial circuit from the coil'13' to the contact 23 was not through the coil 7, but was from this contact to the contact 28 and over the conductor 29 to the conduc tor 6, thus energizing the coil 13 to the full extent thereof for the operation of the two armatures; Also, with the armature E in its reversely tilted position, the contact 10 carried by said armature was in engagement with the contact 22, and the movable switchelement 30 of the snap-switch D was in engagement with the contacts 16 and 17, whereby the circuit through the motor was opened. Immediately, however, upon the engagement of the contact 10 with the contact 21, a circuit was completed direct from the current-main 1 over the conductor 8 to the lower brush of the motor, through the upper brush and the conductor 14 to the contact 16,-through the movable member 30 to the contact 17, over the conductor 19 to the contact 21, through the contact 10 and then over the conductor 9 to the other current-main 2, whereby current of full voltage was supplied-to operate the motor. After a redetermined amount of operation thereof,

7 y the alternating current thus supplied thereto, the motor was automatically stopped by the operation of the snap-switch Dthat is to say, by the sudden movement of the member 30 into position to connect together the contacts 15 and 18 of said switch, thus opening the circuit of the motor which includes the contact 21, but placing the circuitarrangement of the motor in condition to supply current again as soon as the armais again returned to its reversely tilted position with. the contact 10 in en- 1 gagement with the contact 22, whereby the motor will then be given another predetermined operatlon. The tilting of the armature E into its reverse position, when the mercury a of the thermostat contracts under a falling temperature, is brought about by the deenergizing of the coil 13 and the consequent engagement of the contact 24 with the contact 25, which closes the circuit from the secondary of the transformer over the'conductor 4, over the conductor 31 to the gage the contact 22, thereby closing a circuit spring f, through the contacts 24 and 25 and from the 'contact 18 to the contact 15 of the switch D, as previously explained, and starting the motor. This tilting movement of the armature E, of course, causes the contact 28 to disengage the contact 32 and to engage the contact 23, thus automaticallyopening the circuit through the coil 27, and at the same time placing the circuit-arrangement of the coil 13 in such condition that this coil will be energized as soon as the mercury a expands and again engages the contact 5,

which'will produce the operations .and effects previously described. c

From the foregoing, it will be seen that when the circuit of coil 13 is closed in the thermostat, the circuit of coil 27 is opened between the contacts 24 and 25, and vice versa when the circuit of coil 13 is opened in the thermostat the circuit of the coil 27 is .then closed at the contacts 24 and 25, whereby these coils can then be energized at the same time, but are each responsive to a difl'erent operation of the thermostat, the coil 13 always responding to the control of the ther mostat under the influence of a rising temperature, and the coil 27 always responding to the control of the thermostat under a falling temperature. The contact 10, of course, is insulated by a block of insulation 33 from the armature E, but the contact- 28 is secured directly to the armature E, so that in practice the'conductor 29 will lead to the middle the contact 10 with the contacts 21 and 22, the contacts 10 and 28 being of flexible metal and shaped to slide and bear u on the stationary contacts. Thus, when t e armature E is tilted into either position, it will retain that position until the thermostat A either 0 ns orcloses the circuit controlled thereby.

ile the energizing of the coil 13 which continues while the armature E is in the position shown in the drawing, will assist in retaining the armature. in this position, it will be seen that when the coil 27 is energized the tilting of the armature into its other position immediately opens the circuit through this coil 27, so that the latter does not then serve in any way to retain the armature in the sition into which it is tilted by this coil. Ell; the friction of the contacts will hold the armature in this positionl What I claim as my invention is 1. In a system of electric motor control, in combination with the motor, an electro-magnetically operated switch mechanism provided with contacts and connections to control the supply of current to said motor, energizing circuits for controlling the electromagnetic operation of said mechanism, devices operated by said mechanism to control said circuits, so that operation of said-mechanism opens one'circuit and closes another, and means for controlling said circuits to cause the operation of said devices and said motor, said means including electrically controlled contacts in one of said circuits, said motor having a switch operated thereby to automatically control the supply of operating current thereto, cooperating with said mechanism and said means to automatically control the starting and stopping of said motor.

2. In a system of electric motor control, in combination with the motor, an electro-magnetically operated switch mechanism provided with contacts and connections to control the supply of current to'said motor, en-

ergizing circuits for controlling the electromagnetic operationof said-mechanism, de-

vices operated by said mechanism to control said circuits,- so that operation of said mech-,

anism opens one circuit and closes another, and means for controllin said circuits to cause the operation of saif devices and sand motor, said means including electrically controlled contacts in one of said circuits, com- 5'5- prising a switch to connect said mechanism with said motor, said switch beingoperated by the motor itself to automatically stop the operation thereof, means to supply current I o relatively high voltage through said switch to operate said motor, and means to supply current of relatively low voltage to ergizing circuits for controlling the electromagnetic operation of said mechanism, devices operated by said mechanism to control said circuits, so that operation of said mechanism opens one circuit and closes another, and means for controllin said circuits to cause the operation of said devices and said motor, said means including electrically-controlled contacts in one of said circuits, said motor having a switch to automatically stop the operation thereof, said switch and said mechanism operating alternately, said switch and said mechanism eachhaving one position to start the motor in response to one operation of said means and another position to start the motor in response to another operation of saidmea-ns, and said means including a thermostat in the other circuit.

4. In a system of electrical control, a main switch having a plurality of energizing coils and a movable armature therefor,

energizing circuits for saidcoils, devices optrolled thereby, and a spring to retract said armature and close sai contacts when the armature is released by the coil.

6. Thestructure of claim 4, comprising a 7 resistance for connection in series with one oi said coils in the circuit extending through the thermostat.

' 7. The structure of claim 4, said means being 0 en hen said thermostat is closed, and sai armature having one position when said thermostat is open and another position when said thermostat isclosed.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 20th day of June, 1917.

WILLIAM GEORGE HA-RTWIG. 

